Standing Committee A

[Mr. John Butterfill in the Chair]

Football (Disorder) (Amendment) Bill

John Denham: I beg to move,
 That, during proceedings on the Football (Disorder) (Amendment) Bill, the Committee do meet on Tuesdays at half-past Ten o'clock and at half-past Four o'clock and on Thursdays at five minutes to Ten o'clock and at half-past Two o'clock.
 I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Butterfill. I am sure that you and Mr. Illsley—should he get the opportunity—will conduct our proceedings in a fair, courteous and expeditious manner. The Programming Sub-Committee declined to timetable the Bill, so that will give us plenty of time to consider it. Judging by the excellent debate on Second Reading, I am sure that the Bill will be scrutinised closely. Several questions were asked in that debate about our experience of the Football (Disorder) Act 2000. I said that I would share what information I could with the Committee about the impact of the measures on individuals as well as hooliganism under paragraphs 14B, 21A and 21B of schedule 1 of that Act. With your agreement, Mr. Butterfill, I hope to honour that commitment during our proceedings. 
 Question put and agreed to.

John Butterfill: The Bill relates to the Football (Disorder) Act 2000 as well as to the 1989 legislation. Several pieces of legislation, including the Football (Offences) Act 1991, relate to more or less the same subject. I find it difficult to relate the proposed changes under the Bill to the original legislation. It is even more difficult to relate some of the amendments to it. It would make the life of Parliament, in general, much easier if we had consolidating legislation under which all measures were brought together rather than our having to go through the tortuous process of trying to inter-relate the measures that are contained in different Acts. Such action would also make it easier for members of the public and the legal profession to understand what we are trying to do.
 Copies of the financial resolution to the Bill are available in the Room. I remind members of the Committee that adequate notice should be given of amendments. As a general rule, my co-Chairman and I do not intend to call starred amendments. 
Further consideration adjourned.—[Miss McGuire.] 
 Adjourned accordingly at twenty-seven minutes to Eleven o'clock till this day at half-past Four o'clock.